Trace Element

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Content 1 History of Trace element Early ideas of trace element go back to 1912, where Marco Polo describes clinical signs of a Selenium poisoning in Chinese herds and Berzelius successfully isolates Selenium in 1817 (McDowell, 2003). Concrete form of trace element is recognized when Jules Raulin develops the “essentiality” concept in 1869 and further discovers zinc is essential for the growth of the fungus Aspergillus niger. Betrand further develops the idea of essential trace elements by providing examples of necessary nutrients assessments of toxic metals in 1912 (Nordberg & Nordberg, 2016). Trace element progression is continuously being experimented and published by “Biological trace element research”. Biological trace element research was developed by World Biomedical Selenium Society.; International Association of Bioinorganic Scientists and have published 198 peer reviewed journals as of November 2020, contributing research of trace elements in biological, environmental, and biomedical fields (Fakhri et al., 2020). Content 2 Theory of Trace element Two categories of trace elements are essential and non-essential. Essential trace elements are universally required for survival. Elements are considered essential if deficiency impairs biochemical or functional process and replenishment of element corrects impairment. Non-essential trace elements are mainly only of medical importance because they are mostly toxic and some have important control functions as they can interact with other essential trace elements (Allaby, 2015). Fields of Study for human impact In medicinal chemistry, trace elements are necessary for normal growth and development. The body contains a total of <5g of any trace element. Trace elements include fluorine, manganese, zinc, copper, iodine, cobalt, selenium, molybdenum, chromium and silicon. They can act as cofactors or as part of complex molecules (for example, cobalt in vitamin B12) (Martin 2015). In biochemistry, trace elements refer to all elements present in a relatively small concentration (usually defined as <0.005%) in an organism, so very few trace elements are required for a biological diet. The most important trace elements in higher quantity in animals are iron, zinc, copper, manganese, iodine, cobalt, molybdenum, selenium and chromium (Cammack, 2006). CONTENT 3 Trace element in in the laboratory Sample collection and processing Trace element specimens must be collected with attention to details such as anticoagulant, collection apparatus and specimen types as there is significant risk of specimens being subject to contamination by the environment. Special sampling and collection devices, specially cleaned glassware and water and reagents of high purity must be used. The combination of blood serum analysis with saliva, milk and urine analysis is more reliable than single specimen analysis. The human body's fluoride status has been evaluated through several analyses. Saliva analysis has proven useful for monitoring lithium levels (Paez & Dapas, 1982). Trace Metal Instrumentation Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (AES) There are three most important components of an AE spectrophotometer. The first is the source. It needs to have enough heat to generate the excited-state matter. The second is the wavelength of the selected device. The spectral dispersion of the radiation and the separation of the analysis line from other radiations are essential in defining each trace element with respect to one another. The third is the detector that can measure the intensity of radiation. A liquid sample containing the element is converted into an aerosol and transferred to a source that receives energy to emit radiation, and the intensity of the emitted radiation is related to the concentration of the analyte and is the basis for quantification. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy) is an analytical method that quantifies elements by absorbing light by free atoms in a gaseous state. The atomic spectrum is a line spectrum specific to an absorbing element. The most important components of an AA spectrophotometer are: The first is a radiation source that emits a spectrum of analytes, and the second is a nebulizer from which atoms of the element are formed. The third is a monochromator, where the spectral dispersion of the radiation and separation of the analysis line from other radiation occurs, and finally, a detector capable of measuring the radiation intensity. Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy can be used to measure manganese in the 1 billionth (ng/g) range with high accuracy (Clegg et al., 1982). Content 4 Health effects from exposure to non-essential trace elements Non-essential trace elements have no known function in human physiology and have limited health effects but have varying degrees of toxicity and cause adverse medical effects. Arsenic Arsenic is usually absorbed through ingestion of food, mainly seafood, contaminated water or inhaled. The non-toxic, organic forms clear rapidly whereas toxic and inorganic forms clear slowly. Exposure from arsenic can lead to acute and chronic intoxication. Inorganic forms produce severe symptoms in humans and can be lethal. But the metabolism and effects of arsenic can vary widely depending on the chemical properties of the source of arsenic. These differences partially show the temporary nature of the recommendations. Safe exposure limit for adults of 15 ug/kg per week (Walzel, 1997). Cadmium Cadmium is normally inhaled in tobacco smoke or ingested in food. The results of studies indicate that the cadmium levels in the blood of smokers are significantly higher than those in non-smokers (1-3 ng/g vs. 0.1 ng/g) (1,38) 12 (Kershaw, Dhahir & Clarkson, 1980) Approximately 10-50% are inhaled and 5% via the GI tract and most are excreted by feces (90%). Toxicity occurs in the form of renal dysfunction as well as nasal epithelial and lung damage leading to respiratory distress. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain if ingested in great amounts. Content 5 Health effects from deficiency and toxicity of essential trace elements Monlybdenum It is a component of at least three enzymes in the metabolic system. 25-80% of dietary intake are absorbed and excreted by urine and bile. Deficiency causes inherited disorders, seizures, anterior lens dislocation, decreased brain weight and normally causes death before age of 1. Toxicity is rare and mainly linked to elevated uric acid in blood and lead to increased incidence of gout (Walzel, 1997). Selenium

Selenium are part of the cellular defence system against free radicals and are involved in the metabolism of thyroid hormones and glutathione peroxidase. The amount of selenium in the diet depends on an individual's eating habits (e.g. consumption patterns), especially the geographic origin of the food (e.g. from selenium-rich areas or selenium-deficient soils). Selenium is usually excreted through urine, feces, and sweat. Deficiencies can cause cardiomyopathy, muscle weakness and osteoarthritis. In rare cases, some sort of selenium is not present in food, which can cause toxicity. May cause nausea, vomiting, hair loss, nail changes and diarrhea (Walzel, 1997).



References Allaby, M. (2015). A Dictionary of Ecology (5th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Cammack, R. (2006). Oxford dictionary of biochemistry and molecular biology (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Martin, E. (2015). Concise medical dictionary (9th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. McDowell. (2003). Trace elements history | Vetalis Technologies. Retrieved 5 October 2020, from https://www.vetalis.fr/en/trace-element-history/ ISTERH 2019. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://www.isterh2019.com/ Nordberg, M., & Nordberg, G. (2016). Trace element research-historical and future aspects. Journal Of Trace Elements In Medicine And Biology, 38, 46-52. doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2016.04.006 Fakhri, Y., Nematollahi, A., Thai, V., Synergistic Effects of Selenium and Magnesium Nanoparticles on Growth, S., Pour, H., & Mousavi, S. et al. (2020). Biological Trace Element Research. Retrieved 6 October 2020, from https://www.springer.com/journal/12011 Kershaw, T., Dhahir, P., & Clarkson, T. (1980). The Relationship between Blood Levels and Dose of Methylmercury in Man. Archives Of Environmental Health: An International Journal, 35(1), 28-36. Paez, D., & Dapas, O. (1982). Biochemistry of fluorosis - comparative study of the fluoride levels in biological fluids. Flouride, 15(1), 87-92. Walzel, E. (1997). Trace elements in human nutrition and health. World Health Organization, Geneva, 41(3), 183-184.

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